Voices From The Readers

On behalf of the board and members of Ocean City AARP Chapter 1917, I wish to thank Andrea Albrecht, Bob McCluskey and Sandy Kvech who worked very hard to make the 2012 OC AARP Fall Fest a success. Over 75 members and guests attended the event last month at the OC Elks Lodge and danced with the stars from the Delmarva Hand dancers.

The OC AARP Chapter meets the second Thursday of each month, 9:30 am at the OC Elks Lodge. Anyone with a national AARP membership is more than welcome to join us.

Christopher R. Norris,
Ocean City
(The writer is the president of OC AARP 1917.)

Support Appreciated
Editor:

I would once again like to thank those members of the Worcester County Bar Association who donated to the Bar’s Community Foundation Thanksgiving Fund. Also, a special thank you goes to the Ocean City Elks Lodge, Ocean City Lions Club and the Humphrey’s Foundation for their generous donations.

As a result, we were able to purchase food for Thanksgiving for 382 needy families right here in Worcester County, providing in excess of 5,000 individual meals. Our focus on needy families with children enabled us to provide food to 100 families with children attending Pocomoke Elementary School, 55 families with children attending Buckingham Elementary School, 35 families with children attending Snow Hill Elementary School and 20 families with children attending Showell Elementary School.

Additionally, food was provided to 150 families who are clients of Worcester County Gold.

Unfortunately, the number of those in need seems to increase each year. Fortunately, however, our Bar Association and those caring, community minded organizations mentioned above continue to rise to the challenge and meet those needs.

David C. Gaskill
Ocean City
(The writer chairs the Committee On Charitable Endeavors of the Worcester County Bar Association.)
County Needs To Reject State Mandate
Editor:

A plan for the Sustainable Development of the earth, called Agenda 21 was adopted by the United Nations in 1992 and implemented by executive orders of Presidents Bush, Clinton and Obama. It has been adopted by federal agencies, industries, universities and non-governmental institutions and the principles of Agenda 21 have been infused in local land use planning concepts nationwide.

Had Agenda 21 underwent legislative review, Congress might have taken exception to the radical concept that all property rights belong to governments who have unlimited power to deny the exercise thereof by its citizens. American founding principles affirm that the privilege to own land and determine it’s used is a basic right of individual citizens protected by the constitution.

Following the concepts of Agenda 21, the Worcester County Comprehensive Plan forces all residential development in concentrated areas leaving larger areas “protected” from its own citizens. Federal, state and county governments own and prevent the use and development of the resources of 211,000 acres here in Worcester County. Development is concentrated on 7.4% of the land and citizens are discouraged from rural living by oppressive and costly land use policies. Property owners are denied the economic benefit of their own land use and human behavior is forced to conform to wishes of land planners.

Free enterprise is destroyed by government policy, often in the name of preserving the environment. Property use decisions and the means of production are controlled by government bureaucrats. To further promote the concepts of Agenda 21 Senate Bill 236 “the Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Act of 2012” requires all Maryland county governments to overlay existing zoning maps with four added tiers to prevent development in rural areas. Tier four limits residential development on 89,000 acres of Worcester County agricultural land to only one residential dwelling for every 20 acres. Forest land owners will fare no better. It’s simply wrong to take property rights without compensation.

The County Commissioners have scheduled public information sessions regarding the new tier maps 5-7 p.m. on Nov. 26 at Pocomoke High School, Nov. 27 at Stephen Decatur High School and Nov. 29 at Snow Hill Recreation Center. However, the proper course of action would be to refuse to implement the state mandate, reject Agenda 21 and work to repeal SB 236.

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